Clamp



Sept. 9, 1941;

c. J. KOTCH].

CLAMP Filed March 27, 1 940 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 CLAMP Charles J. Kotchi, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Joseph Pondelick,

Chicago, Ill.

Application March 27, 1940, Serial No. 326,241

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in clamps particularly adapted though not necessarily limited in use as a work holding clamp, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character which will serve as a clamp as well as a vise, and which embodies a clamping screw or element adjustable to effect a clamping action on the work, and improved means for increasing or compounding such clamping action after the screw has reached the limit of its movement in the clamping direction.

A further object is to provide an improved clamp of this character, the main or body portions of which may be constructed from sheet material bent or stamped into shape, thereby not only decreasing the cost of manufacture but providing a clamp which will be comparatively light in weight and which will be efiective and efiicient in operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clamp of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on line 4--4 Figure 2.

The clamp consists essentially of two jaw members l0ll which are of substantially L shape configuration and these members are constructed of sheet material stamped or formed into shape so as to provide jaw members which are of a hollow or channel formation.

The numeral l2 designates generally a connecting member which is also formed of sheet material and is of channel formation, the extremities of the member l2 being preferably rounded as at l3.

This channel member I2 is disposed between the jaw members l0-ll and is seated within the members, the respective jaw members being pivotally connected as at |4-l5 with the connecting member I2, spacing blocks l6 being dispivot points to serve as reinforcing means as well as bearings for the pivots.

Theends of the-members l0-ll overlap as at l'll8, the parts being preferably cut away for that purpose.

The connecting member l2 spans the joint between the members |0ll and the overlapping portions are of such an extent and so shaped so as to permit a free and limited pivotal movement of the jaw members l0--ll about their pivots Ill-l5.

Within the body portion of the member I!) is a nut [9 held in position in any suitable manner and threaded through the nut is a screw 29 which also passes through the member I0, the screw being provided with an operating handle 2|,

The end of the screw 20 contacts the connecting member l2 and if desired the member [2 may be reinforced as at 22 at the point Where the end of the screw contacts the same.

At the upper end of the jaw l0 and housed therein is arranged a block 23 which serves as a clamping member or anvil and at the upper end of the member II is a block 24 housed therein and this block together with the block 23 are secured in position in any suitable manner.

Threaded through the block 24 and the jaw member H is a screw 25 on the forward end of which is pivotally mounted a clamping member 26 that co-operates with the block 23 to clamp the work 2'! therebetween. This screw 25 is of a length greater than the distance between the jaws l0-l I so as to permit of the clamping of relatively small articles, and at the other end of the screw is arranged an operating handle 28.

With this construction it Will be manifest that the jaws and the connecting member l2 being formed of sheet material bent or stamped into shape, a very rigid construction will be provided while at the same time it will be comparatively light in weight.

In use and when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2, the screw 25 is adjusted so that the head 26 and the block 23 will clamp the work 27.

If it is desired to secure a greater pressure upon the work 21, the screw 20 is adjusted and this adjustment through the medium of the pressure of the screw 20 upon the connecting member l2 will cause the jaw II] to have a tendency to move toward the jaw ll about its pivot l4. If the movement of the jaw Ill about its pivot I4 is of any considerable extent, the portion I! of posed within the connecting member I2 at the the jaw III which overhangs the portion I8 of the jaw II will contact the portion l8 and tend to move the jaw H about its pivot l5 toward the jaw I0.

With this improved construction it will be manifest that there is not only provided an enicient clamp, but a device which will also serve in the nature of a vise which will be comparatively light in weight but rigid and strong in construction,

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claim, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

A clamp embodying two rigid substantially L shaped members, one of the arms of one member being arranged in longitudinal alinement with an arm of the other member, the other arms of said members being spaced and substantially parallel, a link disposed entirely within the space between the said alined arms and the extremities of the other arms and pivotally connected by its ends respectively to the said members at points remote from the proximate ends of said alined arms, the free end of the other arm of one of said members constituting a work engaging area,

a screw passing through the free end of the opposite arm of the other member and cooperating with said work engaging area to clamp the work therebetween, and a screw passing through one of the said alined arms and engaging the said link intermediate its ends and remote from said pivotal connections to effect a relative pivotal movement of the said members after the clamping action is efiected, to impart a further clamping action'to one of said members upon the work, the proximate extremities of said alined arms overlapping and serving only to efiect a pivotal movement of one of the members when the other member is pivotally moved to any considerable extent.

CHARLES J. KOTCHI. 

